Amusement apparatus



y 8, 1943 H. JOHN ON 2,319,321

AMUS EMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HA1 1 IGA/V JOHNSON as g8 m 16 May 18, 1943 H. JOHNSON AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. -12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAM/6AA! Joli/160M May 18, 1943 H. ,JQHNSON AMUSEMENT APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 12, 1941 Patented May 18, 1943 UNlT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Halligan Johnson, Miami, Fla.

Application November 12, 1841, Serial No. 418,829

Claims. (01. 272-37) 7 l The present invention relates to improvements in amusement apparatus and, more particularly, to round-abouts.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an amusement ride adapted to produce unique sensations which is accomplished partially by mechanical means and partially through a manual drive or control for causing the cars to rotate in a planetary fashion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an amusement ride such as a round-about which is frictionally driven to eliminate to a large extent costly gearing which is incapable of being disassembled for the purpose of transportation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an amusement ride which is durable and which may be easily taken apart and assembled for the purpose of transportation without requir- Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course ofvthe following description of theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 isa top plan view of the, amusement ride showing a portion broken away to disclose the mechanical drive means;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating in detail the structural elements and theirarrangement;

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken on line 3.-3 of Figure 2 illustrating in detail the construction of the supporting base and the drive rollers therefor;

(Figure 4 is a vertical detailed cross sectional view, taken on line 44 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the drive gearing for the set of supporting rollers adjacent the drive shaft;

Figure 5 is a, fragmentary sectional view'illustrating in detail the manner in which the roundabout is supported on its base;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3 looking inthe direction of the arrows, illustrating a reversely driven roller for supporting the round-about at a point diametrically opposite the initial drive rollers;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through one of the cars illustrating in detail the manual operating drive for causing the car to rotate in a planetary manner;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on beam I0.

line 8 8 of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating in detail the construction and arrangement of the manual drive and;

Figure 9 is a substantially horizontal crosssectional viewtaken on line 9"9of Figure Tlooking in the direction of the arrows showing thebracing means for supporting the car spindle boss. In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of iilustrating the invention 'in detail; and wherein like reference characters will b'e'employedito designate like parts throughout the samefthe reference character ill will generally be e ployed to designate a pair of crossed beams each offw'hich includes a lower flanged section I 2 'and an upper flanged section M trussed throu hout its length by brace bars l8. The free ends oflthe' flanged beam M are bent downwardly to provide inclined portions is which are connected to the base flange member lZ by means -of "a plate" '20. Formedatthe point of intersection of the [crossed beams I9 is a hub 2 2 and said'crossed' beams 10 may be welded or otherwise secured "to the hubZZ. v V

' Mounted beneath one end of one of the cross beams in is a platform '24 having four equidisnanny spaced uprights 26 connected at thetop by cross rails @8- upon which is journaleda pairjof spaced rollers '30'having'sp'rocket wheels on one end thereof over which is trained a sprocket chain 32-coupling the rollers ill to a stub shaft 3d suitably journaled in a portion of the frame formed by the uprights 26 and the cross arms 28. f The stubshaft 34 also carries a sprocket wheel over which isjtr'ained a sprocket chain 36 and which is driven from a shaft 3'8'journaled in the frame 26 and'ZB similar to the shaft 34. One end of the shaft 38 is provided with a gear wheel 48 meshing'with a gear wheel 50 on theend of the drive shaft 52. The drive shaft 52 is supported in a housing 54 enclosing the gears 48 and i V V V Mounted beneath the opposite end of the same cross beam I0 is a platform 56 having four uprights 58 connected at the top by horizontal cross bars 60 which form a support for a roller 62 having its ends journaled in the end cross bars 60. The shaft 64 of the roller 62 being mounted in suitable bearings allows free turning movement of the roller and said shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel 66 around which is passed a sprocket chain 68 for imparting rotation to the roller 62 from a sprocket wheel Ill suitably supported by a bracket, 12 on the end of the cross The sprocket wheel 10 is keyed to a shaft 14 which is journaled in the cross beam as at 16 and said shaft 14 extends into the bracket 12 and is coupled with a shaft 18 by means of a universal connection 8!] as shown in Figure 2. The shaft 18 is journaled in bearings 84 and 85 supported by the cross beam I0 and the free end thereof is provided with a gear wheel 88 which is keyed thereto and is constantly in mesh with a gear wheel mounted on the shaft 34.

It will thus be seen that rotation of the shaft 52 will drive the rollers 30 in one direction while the roller 52 will be driven in the opposite direction.

Mounted on the free ends of the other cross arm I 0 is a pair of spaced uprights 02 for supporting rollers 94 which are freely rotatable upon spindles 96.

The car carrier comprises a series of beams I00 composed of upper and lower sections I02 and I04 respectively, trussed throughout their length by truss bars I06. The inner ends of the beams I 00 are connected to a vertical spindle I08 rotatablymounted in the hub 22 and as shown in Figure 2, the upper rails'l02 of the beams are connected as at IIO to the vertical spindle I08,

while the lower rails I04 are mounted between I spaced anchoring plates II 2 held in place by bolts II4. a

a The free ends of thebeams I00 are provided on their underside with fiat friction boards IIB connecting the beams I00 by bolts or the like as at H8, and said friction boards connect the beams I00 adjacent their ends in circular fashion as shown in Figure 1 so that rotation of the rollers 30 will drive the frame structure formed by the beams I00 about the vertical axis or shaft I08. Since the roller 62 is rotating in an opposite direction from the rollers 30; the roller 62 will further drive the rotating frame structure at a diametrically opposite point.

Formed integralwith the extremeend of each radial beam I00 is a tubular boss I in which is mounted a shaft I22 which extends into a bearing I24 mounted in the floor I26 of a car I28. The car I28-is provided with a hood section I30; anda passenger seat, I32. Also journaled in the-floor I26 of the car is'a shaft I34 mounted in: suitable bearings I36 and having keyed to the lower end thereof apulley as at l3; around which is passed a cable or belt I40 extending around =a-pulley guide I42 rigidly attachedto the tubular boss" I20 by suitable means such as set screws or thelike.

-Mounted-on the upper end of the shaft l34 is a'hand spool orknob I44 which may be'grasped by the passenger riding in the car I30 and r0- tated to impart rotation to thecar so as to produce a planetary movement as shown bythe arrows in-Figure 1.

A U-shaped handle I is pivoted at its ends as at I52 to the'front portion of the car I28 beneath the hood I30 so that the handle bar I54 will be presented to the rider in the seat I32 to assist in holding the riderfrom being thrown from th car. r j

Brace bars I56 may have their ends connected to the traction boards H6 and to the tubular scope of the subjoined claims. v

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:

1. An amusement round-about comprising a base including crossed beams, a vertical spindle mounted for rotation at the intersection of the beams, driving and supporting rollers carried by the beams, a rotatable carrier mounted on the spindle adapted to be supported and driven by the rollers and a series of passenger cars arranged in circular fashion on the carrier adapted to be manually rotated independently from the carrier.

2. An amusement round-about comprisin a base including a pair of crossed beams, a vertical spindle mounted at the intersection of the beams, driving and supporting rollers mounted at the ends of the beams, a frame-work constructed of radially extending beams supported by the vertical spindle, a traction board connecting each radial beam adapted to be engaged by the rollers on the base for imparting rotation to the framework and a series of cars arranged in circular fashion and supported on the ends of the radial beams for rotation independent of the framework.

3. An amusement round-about comprising a base including trussed cross beams, a vertical spindle mounted at the point of intersection of the beam for rotation with respect thereto, supporting and driving rollers mounted on the ends of the beams, a rotatable frame-work secured to the spindle comprising radially arranged beams, traction boards connecting the beams on the underside thereof for being engaged by the supporting and driving rollers and passenger cars mounted on the free ends of the radial beams adapted to be manually rotated independent of the rotation of the carrier.

4. An amusement round-about comprising a base including crossed truss beams, a vertical spindle rotatably mounted at the intersection of the beams, one of said beams having drive rollers supported at each end thereof,'means for driving the rollers in reverse directions, supporting rollers carried by the other cross truss beam, a rotatable frame-work mounted above the base including a series of radially extending beams connected to the vertical spindle, traction boards connecting the free ends of the beams in circular fashion on the underside of said beams in alignment with the rollers for supporting and driving the rotatable frame-work, passenger cars rotat ably mounted on the free ends of the radially extending beams and manual means carried by the cars for rotating the same independent of the rotary frame-work.

5. An amusement round-about comprising a base including crossed truss beams, a vertical spindle rotatably mounted at the intersection of the beams, reversely rotating rollers mounted on the opposite ends of one of the beams, idle supporting rollers mounted on the ends of the other beam, a rotatable frame-work carried by the vertical spindle including a series of radially extending beams, roller engaging traction boards connecting the free ends of the beams for imparting rotation to the frame-work and supporting the same above the base, passenger cars rotatably mounted on the ends of the radial beams and manual means carried by the cars for rotating the same independently of the carrier.

HALLIGAN JOHNSON. 

